


What is wrong

by amethystcarnelian



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Angst, Episode: s06e26-s07e01 Descent Parts 1-2, Geordi has been insisting that he's fine, M/M, about a month after the events of descent, but Data knows better, they'll get through this but it'll take time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:34:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22701805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amethystcarnelian/pseuds/amethystcarnelian
Summary: ""Geordi, if you will not talk to me about what is wrong then please discuss it with Counselor Troi.""Nothing's wrong, Data," Geordi sighed, he had been attempting to deflect Data's concern for days now. Cornered in Data's quarters, he was fighting a losing battle."While I do not have a perfect understanding of emotion, I do have a good understanding of you.""Over time Data has come to realise that Geordi has not recovered as well as he claims
Relationships: Data/Geordi La Forge
Comments: 5
Kudos: 69





	What is wrong

"Geordi, if you will not talk to me about what is wrong then please discuss it with Counselor Troi."

"Nothing's wrong, Data," Geordi sighed, he had been attempting to deflect Data's concern for days now. Cornered in Data's quarters, he was fighting a losing battle.

"While I do not have a perfect understanding of emotion, I do have a good understanding of you. Geordi, I will understand if you do not wish to see me any longer but I cannot allow you to continue to push yourself to pretend to be happy for my sake," Data did his best to be firm, in spite of the nagging desire to just let things continue. This pretense that things were fine between them was damaging for Geordi, even if it protected Data from having to face that all was not well after what he had done to Geordi on the Borg colony. He had to accept that if Geordi's happiness required Data being absent from his life, then that was better than Geordi damaging his emotional well being to try to prevent Data from feeling guilty.

"Seriously, Data, I don't know what you're talking about. Everything's fine, I swear. I'm tired, that's all," Geordi had never been much of an actor.

"When I move too quickly, or touch you without clear warning, you flinch. You look away if I smile. When I asked for your VISOR so that I could perform minor repairs on it, you were undeniably reluctant to hand it to me. None of these behaviours were ones you displayed prior to our time at the Borg colony led by Lore. You have not been able to move on from my actions towards you that day. I have hurt you, and while you say it was not my fault, you cannot detach my actions from me. That is understandable… I am sorry for doing this to you," Data's voice trailed off into a near whisper by the end. While he knew he did not feel hatred, not now that Lore had stopped feeding him such emotions, the way his circuits sparked and warmed in all the wrong ways at the idea that he had hurt Geordi, and was still hurting him, was quite similar. He had caused Geordi pain, and he hated it.

Geordi took a shuddering breath in, and let it out in another heavy sigh.

"I'm- I- I thought I could just move on. It wasn't really you back there, so I don't understand why I can't stop thinking about it," Geordi shook his head, "I'll talk to Counselor Troi, I promise. But I swear I don't blame you Data. I don't know how to explain it but I guess there was this weird incongruence between you and your actions on that colony, and now it's still there but reversed. Back there you would push me around, torture me, threaten to kill me, and I was scared, sure, but at the same time it was you, and even though I knew Lore was controlling you part of me believed you could never actually go through with... with killing me," Geordi kept his VISOR pointed firmly at the ground, "And now, I know it really is you and you're not being controlled and that you'd never do anything like that to me again, but there's the nagging of what if I'm wrong. Because you looked like you and you sounded like you but you weren't you back there, and so even though you're back to normal now there's just, I don't know, something I can't shake. Oh god, Data, I'm so sorry."

Data wanted to pull him close, to hug him the way he normally did when Geordi was upset. But his touch was frightening now. Only a month ago his hand had been around Geordi's neck, threatening to kill him if the Captain and Counselor Troi didn't do as he said. So Data kept his hands firmly as his sides, expecting Geordi to leave and head to his own quarters.

"Data?"

"Yes, Geordi?"

"We'll get through this, I promise. It'll probably take some time, but I want us to be okay," Geordi hesitantly reached for Data's hand. Careful not to move too quickly, Data reached back, entwining their fingers.

"I want us to be okay, too. I care greatly for you, Geordi."

"I love you too, Data."

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is part of a little daforge fic dump I'm doing for Valentine's day, so go check out the other fics I'm posting today if you enjoyed this one!
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
